Exhibition explores links between science, art

Mazure was already in touch with a group of other artists who share his artistic orientation. Their work explores questions concerning “the similarities and differences between the micro- and macro-cosmic universe, and what is behind the perceived forces of the universe,’’ Mazure said. Influenced by the natural sciences, including biology, astronomy and physics, these artists explore whether “making marks on a paper can help unravel the conundrums of observed reality,’’ in Mazure’s words.

Answering the New Art Center’s call was additionally interesting to Mazure because he had just embarked on a professorship at East Stroudsburg University in Pennsylvania, a commitment he knew would prevent him from producing a great deal of art on his own. Collaborating on a show with other artists was a way of getting his work seen while exploring different angles of the same complex themes.

The show, “M(i)(A)cro: A Contemporary Drawing Exhibition,’’ opens Monday and will remain on exhibit through May 20 at the nonprofit New Art Center, which offers classes as well as display space at 61 Washington Park in Newtonville. On Wednesday at 5 p.m., Mazure is offering a pen-and-ink drawing workshop (admission is $5). Next Thursday at 5 p.m., the artists will present a gallery talk, followed by the show’s opening reception at 6 p.m.

“We take natural forms out of the context of their natural representation and recombine them in such a way to create new forms that reflect consciousness, instinct, and intuition: responses that strike in us a survival instinct,’’ Mazure said in explaining what he and the exhibition’s other artists have in common. “We each look for the fine line between the representational and the abstract, taking things that are representational and portraying them in a way such that they are not communicating a definite message but rely on the viewer’s reaction.

“Much of the time, when we look at art, what we are seeing provokes either a thought or an emotion. What’s interesting about the works in this show is that viewers will respond to them with a level of instinct or intuition, reactions that bear a certain universality.’’

Though the artists share a commitment to depicting the size and scope of the natural world, they are geographically diverse. Mazure is based in Pennsylvania; other artists contributing works to the show live in Iowa, Illinois, South Carolina, and Wyoming. Only one, Basil El Halwagy of Somerville, lives in Massachusetts.

Chicago artist Barbara Blacharczyk said that as soon as Mazure described his vision for the show, she understood why he thought her work would fit in well.

“I deal with the formation, evolution, and backward motion - that is, decay - of organic objects,’’ Blacharczyk said. “I have four pieces in the exhibit. They are all about change, and organic forms mutating over time. My work is increasingly moving from representational art to an abstract expression of the natural world. It reflects spiritual ideas about the changes that nature goes through. Human beings worry so much about every change in their life, whereas nature goes through its changes instinctively.’’

The New Art Center’s gallery is open weekdays 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturdays from 1 to 5 p.m. For more information, call 617-964-3424 or go to www.newartcenter.org.

ALL ABOUT POKER: Arlington’s Regent Theatre has been selected by 4th Row Films for the Massachusetts premiere of “All In - The Poker Movie,’’ to be screened at 8 p.m. Thursday and April 12.

Written and directed by Douglas Tirola, and produced by Susan Bedusa, Robert Greene and Tirola, the documentary depicts the worldwide poker boom, from its start in New York’s underground clubs to its burgeoning popularity at homes and casinos all over the world.

Boston poker professional Bernard Lee will host a question-and-answer session after the April 12 screening at the Regent, 7 Medford St. Tickets for both showings are $10. For tickets and more information, call 781-646-4849, or visit www.regenttheatre.com.

EIGHT TO THE BAR: Friday from 8 to 10 p.m., swing-jump blues band Eight to the Bar takes the stage at Amazing Things Arts Center, 106 Hollis St., Framingham.

The six-piece ensemble has been together for 37 years, released 11 CDs, features Van Morrison’s original sax player, and just returned from a tour of the Republic of Georgia.

Tickets are $18 general admission, $17 for students and seniors, and $15 for Amazing Things members. For more information, call 508-405-2787 or go to www.amazingthings.org.

THE SMELL OF POETRY: HCAM Studios in Hopkinton presents “Wake Up and Smell the Poetry: Honoring the Art of Story, Song and Poetry’’ with Dan Tobin, author, editor, and award-winning poet; Karen Given of Mass Mouth and WBUR’s “Only a Game’’; and Carrie Rowan and Adrienne Fawkes as the duo Stefilia’s Stone at 10:30 a.m. Saturday.

Following the featured segment, host Cheryl Perreault will lead an open mic for music and spoken-word performers at the local-access TV studios, 77 Main St. Admission is free, but seats can be reserved by calling 508-435-8638 or going to www.hcam.tv/wakeup.

IN LOVE WITH ARIAS: On Wednesday at 7 p.m., the Friends of the Marlborough Public Library and the Paternoster Memorial Opera Trust present “Opera Prima Vera,’’ a program of familiar opera arias and Italian love songs, in the library’s Bigelow Auditorium, 35 West Main St.

The free concert will feature soprano Maria Ferrante, tenor Ray Bauwens, and pianist Narine Badadjanian. For more information, call 508-529-9907 or go to www.mpl-friends.org.

Send ideas to westarts@globe.com.